Seaborne premium hard coking coal prices slumped on Tuesday August 4 following a recent transaction sealed at lower prices, with market participants attributing the downtrend partly to China's import restrictions on coking coal. Fastmarkets indices Premium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $106.40 per tonne, down $1.96 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $116.38 per tonne, down $2.27 per t...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices rose on Tuesday August 4 amid a healthy appetite for material among steel mills, according to traders.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $117.88 per tonne, up by $1.85 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $118.30 per tonne, up by $1.92 per tonne.58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $102.78 per tonne, up by $1.72 per tonne.65% Fe Bra...Read More
The price fluctuations in the high-grade iron ore market remains a key concern for Chinese steelmakers, especially with iron ore fines prices hitting an intra-year high on August 3.Steelmakers in China have started using a more price sensitive approach from July onward by consuming slightly cheaper low and mid-grade iron ore fines, trading sources said. The high-grade iron ore indices have also be...Read More
The cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam trade log, including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparency into the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies. Fastmarkets assessed cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam at $14.25-14.70 per lb on Tuesday August...Read More
The cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam trade log, including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparency into the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies. Fastmarkets assessed cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam at $14.25-14.70 per lb on Tuesday August 4, 2020. Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key ferro-alloy forecast highlights:Numerous ore and alloy markets enjoyed upward pricing momentum in the first half 2020, with supply-side constraints supporting prices despite collapsing demand from steelmakers and other key end users. While supply side issues related to Covid-19 lockdowns have been resolved,...Read More
Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were firmer this morning, Wednesday August 5, with gains averaging 0.3%.Pre-market major western equity index futures were also in positive territory, while metals and equities in Asian-Pacific markets were mixed.* Western markets seem buoyed by hopes for a stimulus package announcement by the United States this week.* China’s Caixin...Read More
Copper Miners ETF (COPX) moved above $20.71 extending an intermediate uptrend.Dow Jones Transportation Average iShares (IYT) moved above $179.39 extending an intermediate uptrend.Barrick Gold (ABX), a TSX 60 stock moved above Cdn$40.04 to an all-time high extending an intermediate uptrend.Disney (DIS), a Dow Jones Industrial stock moved above $127.82 following release of fiscal third quarter resul...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday August 3 that are worth another look.The year 2020 has been the ultimate stress test for commodity market participants and will stay challenging amid significantly impaired consumer demand trends due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the chief executive officer of Concord Resources. Mark Hansen said the economy is operatin...Read More
Zinc concentrate treatment charges (TCs) rose for the second consecutive month in July after hitting a 19-month low in May, with spot availability increasing slightly.Fastmarkets' price assessment for zinc spot concentrate TCs, cif China was $165-185 per tonne on Friday July 31, up by $5 from $160-180 per tonne on June 26.Mining companies are beginning to recover lost production after Covid-19 pan...Read More
Amid a hot market for copper, China's smelters are jumping in on a profitable niche business dominated by traders.Eight major copper smelting and mining companies - China Gold, China Copper, Baiyin, Daye, Yantai Guoxing, Jinchuan, Minmetals and Nanguo - are lobbying for licenses to import and process complex concentrate, Fastmarkets has learned. In a race to receive final approv...Read More
Zinc concentrate treatment charges (TCs) rose for the second consecutive month in July after hitting a 19-month low in May, with spot availability increasing slightly.Fastmarkets' price assessment for zinc spot concentrate TCs, cif China was $165-185 per tonne on Friday July 31, up by $5 from $160-180 per tonne on June 26.Mining companies are beginning to recover lost production after Covid-19 pan...Read More
Amid a hot market for copper, China's smelters are jumping in on a profitable niche business dominated by traders.Eight major copper smelting and mining companies - China Gold, China Copper, Baiyin, Daye, Yantai Guoxing, Jinchuan, Minmetals and Nanguo - are lobbying for licenses to import and process complex concentrate, Fastmarkets has learned. In a race to receive final approv...Read More
The year 2020 has been the ultimate stress test for commodity market participants and will stay challenging amid significantly impaired consumer demand trends due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the chief executive officer of Concord Resources. Mark Hansen said the economy is operating on 70-90% of its usual demand strength due to the pandemic, with huge portions of previously high-demand g...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday August 3 that are worth another look.The year 2020 has been the ultimate stress test for commodity market participants and will stay challenging amid significantly impaired consumer demand trends due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the chief executive officer of Concord Resources. Mark Hansen said the economy is operatin...Read More
The year 2020 has been the ultimate stress test for commodity market participants and will stay challenging amid significantly impaired consumer demand trends due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the chief executive officer of Concord Resources. Mark Hansen said the economy is operating on 70-90% of its usual demand strength due to the pandemic, with huge portions of previously high-demand g...Read More
Fastmarkets is extending its consultation on the launch of new copper material price and the potential discontinuation of its monthly assessment of the No2 copper scrap discount on a cif China basis. Fastmarkets is extending its consultation on the launch of new copper material price and the potential discontinuation of its monthly assessment of the No2 copper scrap discount on a cif China basis....Read More
Turkish steel mills made no moves in the deep-sea scrap markets on Monday August 3 due to the Eid al-Adha religious holiday in the country.Turkey has been out of the market for the eid since Thursday of last week, when the latest known purchases were heard on the market. The holiday will...Read More
Bangladesh is one of the world's fastest-growing import markets for steel scrap. The country's rapid industrialization in recent years and its lack of natural steelmaking raw material resources mean that scrap imports - in addition to domestic material - are of high importance to the country's steelmakers.But why has 2020 been a particularly important year for the Bangladesh market? And how is Ban...Read More
A summary of Belgian battery materials company Umicore's results for the first six months of 2020, as stated in its half-year report published on Friday July 31.In brief Revenues from the Energy & Surface Technologies division were down by 8% year-on-year in the first half of 2020, to ?,?557 million ($656 million), due to the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on sales of electric vehicles (EVs). Ear...Read More